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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698616">Spin the Bottle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmatilda/pseuds/darkmatilda'>darkmatilda</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Politician (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Blushing, Kissing, Love, M/M, Self-Hatred, Sexual Tension, Spin the Bottle, Vulnerability</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:07:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,536</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmatilda/pseuds/darkmatilda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was late evening and Payton and the campaign team were burning the midnight oil. It was the kind of potential all-nighter where work would blend into play and things got looser as the evening went on. What made things especially complicated, was half an hour earlier, River had come to stop by, and ever since he arrived, Payton was totally off his game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>River Barkley/Payton Hobart, payton river</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spin the Bottle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late evening and Payton and the campaign team were burning the midnight oil. It was the kind of potential all-nighter where work would blend into play and things got looser as the evening went on. What made things especially complicated, was half an hour earlier, River had come to stop by, and ever since he arrived, Payton was totally off his game. </p><p>As much as he tried, all Payton could think about was River, watching and waiting from the corner of his eye for an opportunity to share a private moment together. They hadn’t seen each other since that Mandarin lesson and Payton was still rattled by a desperate longing that he couldn’t understand. He wanted to be focused, and a leader, but couldn’t stop fantasizing, his eyes wandering across those hands, shoulders, lips. And still River had not caught his eye since he arrived. </p><p>“Let’s take a break,” said James, exhausted, opening a pizza box. Payton usually loved the tense camaraderie of his campaign team, but this evening he just wasn’t able to tune into it. His attention was focused totally on River, who seemed to be getting into the community spirit just fine. River seemed warm, and gregarious, easily connecting with the others, and it made Payton jealous and anxious. </p><p>Was River going to find to someone else? Of course he would... River wouldn’t stay interested in me for long anyway. He’ll find someone better, nicer, with fuller emotions...</p><p>“I have an idea, to help us all relax,” said James, dropping an empty cola bottle in the middle of the circle. “Let’s play, Spin The Bottle”</p><p>Oh no, thought Payton. He closed his eyes. He could not stand to see River kiss someone else. When he opened them, for the first time that evening, he caught River’s gaze. River winked back. What did that mean? Was that good? He zoned out, in anxious contemplation, barely paying attention to the first few rounds of bottle spins, of meaningless, awkward kisses, until it was his turn.</p><p>-----------------</p><p>He spun the bottle. It landed on Alice.</p><p>“Let me try again,” said Payton. “I think I spun it wrong.”</p><p>“That’s not allowed!” jeered Skye, but the others sensed Payton was off somehow tonight, and they decided to humor him.</p><p>He spun the bottle again, and it landed on Skye.</p><p>“Let me guess, you’re just going to keep spinning until it lands on River?” said Skye, to a few amused murmurs.</p><p>“That’s not what I’m doing! Let me try one more time!” said Payton defensively and instinctively. He was blushing a little but didn’t care. Payton’s attention was so focused on getting the bottle to land on River he didn’t realize how clumsily obvious his attraction was becoming.</p><p>This time, the bottle did land on River. Payton looked up, hopefully. River looked warm and accepting, as usual. He shrugged, casually, as if to say, “go ahead.” Payton looked puzzled, wondering if that was a sign of affection for him, or just an expression of River’s inexplicable magnanimity.</p><p>Payton reached across, nervously. It felt natural, so he placed a hand on River’s cheek. </p><p>“Oooh, caressing him,” jeered Skye again. “Are you going to use tongues too?”</p><p>Payton blushed an even brighter pink, but he didn’t want to miss the only opportunity he might get, so he just dived in. He grabbed River’s face with both hands, frantically and messily kissing him with an open mouth. River calmed his kisses into something simpler, and gently pulled away after a couple of seconds. It was all over far too quickly. </p><p>The game had already moved on to the next person. Payton had managed to catch a spark of the connection they had experienced before, but had been too anxious to truly savour the moment. He didn’t know what it meant. He couldn’t stop wondering if River wanted to kiss him back. He cursed himself for being so distracted by someone else, mindshare that should have been for his own campaign team and goals. All he could think about was whether River liked him. It was so frustrating. He hated feeling so helpless. </p><p>River had not made eye contact since the bottle spin. Did River need him as much he needed River? River was so much more attractive and popular. Would that mean he would always be the one in the relationship with less power, at the mercy of his partner’s whims? Maybe a relationship like this would be awful, weakness, rejection, endless heartache and torture. Not that any of this mattered -- could River really love someone as calculating and damaged as him?</p><p>Payton spent the rest of the evening preoccupied, waiting for a moment when he and River could be alone, but every time he looked, River seemed too involved with the crowd, entangled in others with easy kindness. It all came so naturally to him. It wasn’t until the rest of the team had gone home, that River and Payton had a moment to catch each other alone.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------</p><p>“Hey,” said River, calmly, putting on his jacket and getting ready to leave. “You’ve got great friends.”</p><p>“They’re a lot easier to love than me,” said Payton, preemptively.</p><p>“Hey, don’t say that.” said River, with genuine surprise. “Come here.”</p><p>Payton walked slightly closer and River caught both of his hands and held them. He breathed in deeply. It was almost like he could feel an electric current run through them. Payton closed his eyes for a second to truly focus on the feeling, and then opened them again.</p><p>“You’re very easy to love.” said River, warmly, squeezing his hands. As Payton opened his mouth to protest, he added, “For me.” </p><p>“What about me is loveable,” asked Payton, coyly, looking away downwards. </p><p>“I’m drawn to you.” said River, unlinking one hand and softly caressing one side of his face. “You’re sharp, and interesting, and you deserve to be loved -- much more than you love yourself. You may not think so, but you’re special.”</p><p>Payton closed his eyes to focus on the caress. He sighed deeply. It felt so good to receive this kind of affection and appreciation, even if he couldn't quite accept it. He had been so starved for it his entire life. He couldn’t believe this was real. He was too scared to let himself believe it was real.</p><p>“I don’t deserve you,” whispered Payton, looking upwards with his big sad eyes. He trembled a little and opened his lips slightly, ready for another kiss. Instead, River smiled and sensually ran his thumb across Payton’s cheek and mouth, which made him shiver all over, and whimper slightly.</p><p>“Please,” said Payton, softly. His silver tongue had abandoned him. It was all he could think of to say. </p><p>River put his other arm around Payton’s waist and drew him in closer. He brushed his hair aside and moved in for a long, slow kiss. It felt to Payton like fireworks all over, magic and warmth all the way from his lips through his body, almost overwhelming. He held onto River, and River squeezed him back. He felt like River was giving him all of these new and crazy sensations, and also holding him together so he wouldn’t burst. </p><p>When River let go, he felt almost dizzy. He wasn’t used to this at all. They sat down together on the couch, River sprawled casually over the corner seat, and Payton in his lap, with River’s arms wrapped around his waist. River was casually nibbling the top of Payton’s ear, his sensitive spot. They stayed there for a while, feeling close to each other.</p><p>“Are you this kind to everyone?” asked Payton, sheepishly. </p><p>“I don’t do this to everyone,” said River, laughing. He turned Payton’s body around so Payton was straddling him, and held him by the waist.</p><p>“I didn’t mean that,” said Payton. “It just seems so easy for you to connect to people, I wondered if you could just as easily fall in love with someone else. For me, you’re the only one I be like this with.”</p><p>“You’re special Payton.” River was just so calm and open Payton couldn’t help but believe him, and his anxieties melted away. He moved in for another long, passionate, vulnerable kiss. </p><p>“Come, we have to be awake early tomorrow,” said River, running his fingers through Payton’s hair.</p><p>“I don’t want you to go,” whined Payton, grabbing onto River’s hands. He was usually so controlled, so unfamiliar with his natural social instinct, shielded by layers of public image, that he had never realized how needy he could be underneath.</p><p>“Come,” said River, serenely. “I’ll see you at our next Mandarin lesson.”</p><p>------------------------</p><p>On the doorstep, River gently held Payton’s hands one final time as he was ready to go. </p><p>“I’m an emotional cripple,” said Payton. “I feel a lot for you, but I don’t understand any of it. It’s frightening.”</p><p>“Hey,” said River, giving him a squeeze. “I see you. I don’t think you’re a cripple.” He paused, and smiled, giving Payton an affectionate kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“But, maybe there are a few things I can teach you.” He winked, and Payton’s heart raced.</p><p>“Goodbye,” mouthed Payton, as River let go, and walked off into the night.</p>
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